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12 Haunted Museums Where Strange Things Are Always Happening
Walking through corridors filled with ancient artifacts usually brings a sense of quiet wonder. You look at old paintings, inspect centuries-old armor, and read little placards detailing the past. Sometimes, though, the past decides to look back. And there is a distinct difference between reading about history and feeling it breathe heavily on the back of your neck.
Museums are designed to preserve fragments of forgotten eras, trapping memories in glass cases and dimly lit galleries. But it turns out that preserving objects can also mean preserving the original owners who simply refuse to move on.
When the lights go down and the daily crowds disperse, certain cultural institutions take on an entirely different atmosphere. Footsteps echo where no living person is walking. Shadows stretch a little too far across the polished floors, and you might catch a reflection in a display case that definitely does not belong to you.
We flock to these places to learn about those who came before us, completely unaware that some of them never actually left the building. The air grows cold, the silence feels heavy, and you quickly realize that you are not the only one admiring the exhibits today. History is alive, and it occasionally wants to introduce itself.
The Metropolitan Museum Of Art – New York, New York
The Metropolitan Museum of Art spans over two million square feet, making it the largest art museum in the Americas. You could easily spend a week looking at the vast collection, but you might want to pick up your pace near the Egyptian wing.
The museum houses the Temple of Dendur, a massive structure completed around 10 B.C. by the Roman emperor Augustus. It is a stunning piece of history. It also apparently comes with ancient attachments. Security guards working the night shift have reported hearing strange chanting echoing around the sandstone walls.
Turns out, when you place a two-thousand-year-old temple inside a modern building in Manhattan, you are bound to invite some unusual guests. People have even spotted spectral figures in period clothing wandering the European paintings galleries, looking highly critical of the lighting.
A museum this large holds over two million permanent pieces, meaning there are millions of opportunities for a lingering spirit to attach itself to a favorite chair or a cursed necklace. The artifacts were gathered from tombs, battlefields, and abandoned homes across the globe. So you are basically walking through a highly curated ghost town with better air conditioning.
A few night watchmen completely refuse to patrol certain corridors alone, and it is hard to blame them. If an ancient pharaoh decides to reclaim his burial goods, a flashlight and a walkie-talkie will not be much help.
The Queen Mary – Long Beach, California
The Queen Mary is a retired British ocean liner that sailed primarily on the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967. Today, she is permanently moored in Long Beach, serving as a floating hotel and museum. She is also widely considered one of the most haunted places in the world.
The ship boasts over 1,000 feet in length, providing plenty of hiding spots for the deceased. And during her time in service, at least 49 reported deaths occurred on board. Those individuals seem to have bypassed the afterlife in favor of an eternal luxury cruise.
The first-class swimming pool is a massive hotspot for paranormal activity. Visitors frequently report seeing the wet footprints of a young girl named Jackie, who supposedly drowned there decades ago. You can hear her giggling echoing off the tiled walls.
Another infamous area is cabin B340, which has a history of unexplained activity so severe that management occasionally locks it away from guests entirely. Faucets turn on by themselves, and bed sheets are violently ripped off sleeping tourists in the middle of the night.
If you decide to book a tour of the boiler room, keep an eye out for a young sailor who was tragically crushed by Door 13. He still paces the heavy metal walkways, completely unaware that the ship has not moved in over fifty years.
Banff Springs Hotel Museum – Banff, Canada
The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel opened in 1888 and sits at an elevation of 4,639 feet in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. This massive resort features a heritage museum detailing its long and storied history.
It also features a spectral bellhop named Sam Macauley. Sam passed away in 1975 but apparently missed the memo regarding his retirement. Guests often report an older man in a 1960s uniform helping them with their bags or unlocking their doors, only for him to vanish into thin air before they can hand him a tip.
There is also the chilling tale of the ghost bride. In the late 1920s, a young woman supposedly tripped on the marble staircase on her wedding day, tragically breaking her neck. Today, guests and staff catch glimpses of a veiled figure dancing alone in the hotel ballroom. A cold breeze usually follows her around the grand chandeliers. So you might want to bring a sweater, just in case you bump into her.
The hotel is vast, with 757 guest rooms and seemingly endless corridors that can confuse even the most sober traveler. Taking a wrong turn near the historical exhibits might land you face-to-face with an entity from a bygone era. The sweeping mountain views outside are phenomenal, but the interior views might just make your blood run cold.
The Vent Haven Museum – Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
The Vent Haven Museum is the only museum in the world dedicated entirely to ventriloquism. It houses more than 900 ventriloquist dummies. Let that number sink in for a moment.
Founded by William Shakespeare Berger, who began collecting dummies in 1910, the museum is now a required stop for anyone who enjoys the feeling of hundreds of wooden eyes following their every move. The figures sit in rows on bleachers, and many of them date back to the 19th century.
Visitors consistently report an overwhelming feeling of being watched. Some people claim they have seen the wooden mouths drop open when no one is standing near them. And a few brave guests have even reported hearing faint, raspy whispers coming from the display cases. It is bad enough dealing with one creepy doll, but a choir of 900 of them is entirely too much.
The museum spans several buildings, and the air inside is completely stagnant, preserving the delicate wood and fabric. The lack of air movement makes it even more terrifying when a dummy head randomly swivels to face the door.
You will learn a lot about the fascinating history of performance art here. You will also learn exactly how fast you can sprint to your rental car once the tour is over.
Gettysburg Museum – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum houses thousands of artifacts from the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg took place over three days in July 1863, resulting in over 50,000 casualties.
With that much tragedy concentrated in one area, it is no surprise that the museum and surrounding grounds are heavily populated by restless spirits.
The museum displays uniforms still stained with blood, shattered rifles, and personal letters from soldiers who never went home. Staff members frequently arrive in the morning to find display cases completely rearranged. It seems some of the spectral soldiers are highly particular about how their gear is presented to the public.
You might hear the faint sounds of drum beats or phantom footsteps pacing the wooden floors. Some visitors have even reported sudden, extreme drops in temperature while viewing the medical equipment. And a few people have claimed to smell gunpowder and sulfur lingering near the artillery exhibits.
The paranormal activity is so accepted here that it is basically an unwritten feature of the admission ticket. You can read all the historical plaques you want, but hearing a phantom sigh right next to your ear provides a much more direct connection to the past.
The Museum Of Alchemists And Magicians Of Old Prague – Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is known for its stunning Gothic architecture, but the Museum of Alchemists and Magicians is hidden away in one of its oldest historical districts. The museum sits on the former site of an alchemist’s laboratory from the 16th century. The museum features a recreated version, complete with bubbling cauldrons, dried herbs, and creepy wax figures.
Emperor Rudolf II was obsessed with the occult, inviting alchemists from all over Europe to try and turn lead into gold. Unsurprisingly, they failed at making gold, but they seemingly succeeded in leaving behind some highly unpleasant energy.
Visitors walking up the narrow, twisting wooden staircase to the attic often report feeling a firm push from behind, even when they are the last person in line. Some guests claim to hear frantic scratching sounds coming from the walls, perhaps the sound of a desperate alchemist trying to escape an explosion.
While the museum leans heavily into the theatrical side of history, the unsettling feeling in the air is entirely genuine. You can almost feel the obsession and madness that consumed the men who worked in this very spot 400 years ago.
The LaLaurie Mansion – New Orleans, Louisiana
The LaLaurie Mansion is located in the French Quarter of New Orleans. And this towering, three-story building is considered one of the most infamous locations in American history.
In the 1830s, Madame Delphine LaLaurie hosted lavish parties for the city elite, hiding a chamber of horrors on the top floor. Following a fire in 1834, authorities discovered enslaved people kept in horrific conditions, subjected to unspeakable cruelty. Delphine fled to Paris, but the agony she caused remained permanently trapped in the house.
Today it stands as a grim monument to human cruelty. While it is not a traditional public museum, historical walking tours constantly stop outside its iron-laced balconies. People standing on the sidewalk often report hearing muffled screams and the sound of chains dragging across the wooden floorboards upstairs.
Photographs taken of the exterior frequently show strange orbs and distorted faces staring down from the attic windows. Animals even refuse to walk past the front door, pulling aggressively on their leashes to cross the street.
The property has changed hands multiple times, including a brief stint owned by actor Nicolas Cage. But most owners do not stay long. Why? Because the heavy, oppressive energy surrounding the brick walls is palpable.
The Whaley House Museum – San Diego, California
The Whaley House in San Diego was built in 1857 by Thomas Whaley. It is officially designated as a haunted house by the United States Department of Commerce. That is a government-issued stamp of supernatural approval.
Before the house was built, the property served as the town gallows. A man named Yankee Jim Robinson was hanged on the site in 1852. According to legend, Yankee Jim is still stomping around the heavy wooden floors in heavy boots.
The house later served as a general store, a theater, and a courthouse. Today, it is a beautifully restored museum offering a glimpse into 19th-century California life. It also offers a glimpse into the afterlife.
Visitors frequently smell the heavy scent of Thomas Whaley and his Cuban cigars wafting through the parlor. His wife, Anna Whaley, is often seen drifting through the downstairs rooms in a flowing green dress. Even the family dog is a ghost. Guests report feeling a cold, wet nose pressed against their hands, or feeling a small animal brush past their legs in the narrow hallways.
The heavy velvet curtains twitch with no open windows, and the antique music box has a terrible habit of playing all by itself.
The Old Melbourne Gaol – Melbourne, Australia
The Old Melbourne Gaol operated from 1842 to 1929, housing some of Australia and its most notorious criminals. Over 130 people were executed by hanging within its thick bluestone walls, including the infamous bushranger Ned Kelly in 1880.
It is now a museum where visitors can walk through the original cells and look at death masks created from the executed prisoners. The atmosphere is remarkably bleak, with minimal natural light and a permanent chill in the air.
Visitors joining the night tours frequently experience a tight, suffocating feeling in their chests. People have been scratched, pushed, and shoved by unseen hands while standing in the dark corridors.
Cell 17 is particularly notorious. People stepping inside report feeling an overwhelming wave of sadness and nausea, forcing them to immediately back out into the hallway. The cell block also echoes with phantom whispers and the distinct, metallic clatter of heavy iron keys turning in the locks.
The museum holds an incredible amount of dark history regarding the Australian penal system. You can see the actual gallows beam where the executions took place. But taking a casual stroll through a place specifically designed for suffering is a bold choice. You might need a stiff drink immediately afterward to shake off the gloom.
The Lizzie Borden Bed And Breakfast Museum – Fall River, Massachusetts
The Lizzie Borden house is located at 230 Second Street in Fall River. On August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally murdered in this house with a hatchet. Their daughter Lizzie was tried and controversially acquitted of the crimes.
The property is now a museum and a bed and breakfast, allowing you to actually sleep in the very rooms where the gruesome events occurred. The museum is painstakingly decorated to look exactly as it did on the morning of the murders. You can sit on a replica of the sofa where Andrew was struck down.
Guests brave enough to spend the night report hearing the sound of a woman weeping in the dark. Footsteps constantly creak up and down the main staircase. The lighting fixtures flicker constantly, and doors have a nasty habit of slamming shut on their own. And the room where Abby Borden was found is a massive hotspot for cold spots and strange shadows.
Options include a guided daytime tour to see the crime scene photos and hear the historical facts surrounding the trial. And if you feel incredibly brave, you can book a room for the night. Just do not expect to get much sleep, as the previous occupants are clearly still restless.
The Mutter Museum – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Mutter Museum is part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. It was founded in 1858 by Dr. Thomas Dent Mutter. The museum is dedicated to medical history and contains a massive collection of anatomical specimens, wax models, and antique medical equipment.
It features things like slices of Albert Einstein and his brain, the conjoined liver of Chang and Eng Bunker, and a terrifying array of skulls. It is a fascinating, educational look at the human body. And it is also completely unnerving. Walking past rows of preserved human remains in dimly lit glass jars tends to play tricks on your mind.
Staff members have reported seeing dark shadows darting between the tall wooden cabinets after closing hours. Visitors often complain of a heavy, oppressive feeling settling over them in the main gallery. Given the sheer volume of human tissue housed in the building, it makes sense that the energy feels incredibly dense.
The museum requires a strong stomach and a profound respect for medical science. You will see things here that will stay etched in your memory for years. There are no dramatic ghost stories attached to specific jars, but the collective weight of so much mortality creates an atmosphere that is impossible to ignore.
The Tower Of London – London, England
The Tower of London was founded toward the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest. Over its 900-year history, it has served as a royal palace, a prison, and a place of execution. In fact, two of Henry VIII’s wives, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, were beheaded on Tower Green.
With nearly a millennium of political intrigue, torture, and death, the stone walls are practically saturated with ghosts. Anne Boleyn is frequently seen walking near the site of her execution, sometimes carrying her own head under her arm.
The Bloody Tower is supposedly haunted by the Princes in the Tower. These two young royals, Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, mysteriously disappeared in 1483. Guards have spotted the spectral children shivering in white nightgowns, clutching each other in fear.
The White Tower features a massive collection of medieval armor, where tourists occasionally report feeling a heavy hand land squarely on their shoulders. And the Yeoman Warders, who guard the fortress, have centuries of paranormal reports logged in their records.
You can view the stunning Crown Jewels and learn about the intense royal history of England. Just be prepared for the sudden, freezing drafts of air that sweep across the cobblestones, even in the middle of summer.
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